Ease of use

Settings

The 420Z has a reasonable number of external settings controls but in reality most settings, apart from close focus and flash modes, need to be menu-selected.

Status information
All status information is displayed on the 1.5 inch colour LCD viewscreen monitor. Different set up modes are colour coded and are selected using the mode button.

In set up mode you choose the colour coded category, also distinguished by its vertical position on the screen. Once selected, you can navigate left and right to choose a particular setting and then up and down for the value you require

On the left above is an example of the view in playback mode and to the right and example of the status display in shooting mode

Click here for more examples of 420Z status and menu screens.

Speed of operation
This category is the strongpoint of the 420Z. It takes under a second to be ready to shoot once you have slid the lens cover to the right and ditto for turning the camera off, once more. AF speed is also reassuringly swift for a camera of this class.

Two continuous shooting modes are offered by the 420Z: an 'infinite' mode only limited by the amount of memory available in your card and a faster burst mode. The former shoots at just over a second per frame or about 8 frames in 12 seconds, for example. The faster burst mode shoots three pictures in about 2.5 seconds. Shot to shot single shooting is generally un-hindered by waits.

Handling
The 420Z is a nice camera to hold for its class. Despite its slim design, it is easy to grip. If you need to use the optical finder, it's well sited to the left to avoid 'nose-squash'. The navigator pad operates well, as do the buttons radiating from it. The sliding lens cover is not to everyone'e preference and I did find myself leaving the lens exposed occasionally as the camera can be switched off without the lens being fully covered. But this is something that most cameras with a lens cover switch of this type are vulnerable to.

Focus
Autofocus performance of the 420Z is very good, being both quick for a camera of this class and usually accurate, with little hunting in normal conditions. There is no low light AF assist light, but this didn't seem to be a major problem.

Zoom
Like the rest of the camera, the zoom performance was quick for a camera of this type. As the zooming motor is stepped, there is limited fine adjustment for critical framing, an issue that also affects many other cameras at this level.

Flash
The flash performance of the 420Z is average for its class. It did a reasonable job illuminating subjects under medium to low indoor lighting and the red-eye reduction mode did its job. Flash brightness can be selected by the user in a manual custom mode and it's also possible to set a slow shutter speed for use with flash in order to brighten up the background of a flash-illuminated scene.